Chapter 334
Chapter 334
<Side Story 18. Morning of Grancia>
#A18
“…hmm.”
Schlieffen woke up and raised his upper body. A spacious and luxurious bedroom caught my eye.
His eyebrows twitched slightly as he looked around. A faint ray of sunlight was seeping through the curtains.
‘It’s annoying.’
The light was too weak to disturb his sleep, but rather eerie, but Schlieffen woke up without the slightest hesitation. He took off his sleeping cap only after he had closed the curtains and made sure the room was completely dark.
‘It’s better now.’
I glanced at the clock and saw it was 5:30 am.
It was the same as always, with no error whatsoever.
Suddenly, a slight pain occurred near his shoulder and knee.
“Ugh.”
Judging from what I had experienced the day before, it seemed to be muscle pain.
It wasn’t so intrusive that it would interfere with his daily life, so he started his daily routine right away.
The first thing was always to check on his family.
Schlieffen, who had straightened out his hair that had become matted all night, looked back at the bed.
“Ehehe…Where are you going, Aria…”
This guy was sound asleep. The silver-white hair spilling over his pillow was beautiful. She was smiling brightly as she called her daughter’s name, as if she was having some kind of pleasant dream.
‘It’s beautiful.’
Schlieffen smiled when he saw that. She is Ronan’s sister and Star’s daughter.
Even though her mother was the most beautiful woman in the world, she maintained her beauty no different from when I first met her.
She was wearing the same dark blue nightgown as Schlieffen. Her pajamas were made of the finest silk and were tailored by her entire family. Because her sleeping habits were so lively, the blanket only covered half of her body.
“You have to cover it properly….. You won’t catch a cold.”
Schlieffen properly covered Iril’s protruding limbs.
As I gently stroked her head, she giggled and hugged her daughter under her blanket. Seeing how calm she was for some reason, it seemed like she was still wandering in her dream world.
‘Should I just go today?’
Schlieffen smoothed her chin.
For him, the beginning of the day meant seeing the sleeping faces of his wife and her daughter.
It’s dangerous, but once he sleeps, he won’t wake up because he doesn’t know how to carry him.
After thinking for a while longer, Schlieffen finally lifted the blanket.
Handle it delicately and very, very carefully, as if you were handling precious metals.
It took about a minute to put the blanket away.
“…this.”
Schlieffen’s face hardened.
There was a large pillow placed where her daughter should have been.
The pillow, which had an absurdly similar physique to her daughter’s, had a note attached that said [Hide and Seek!].
He muttered while pressing his index finger between his eyes.
“You got it.”
She didn’t notice at all, as her fatigue had accumulated from the previous day.
My daughter, who is five years old this year, was at the peak of her energy.
Schlieffen, regaining her composure with a deep breath, placed her hand on her daughter’s seat.
It seemed like she had just left her bed, as she still had some warmth left in her.
He handed Iril her pillow and left her room. When I opened the door, the cool morning air rushed in.
Since the servants had not yet started their work, the mansion was silent.
‘It would be a big deal if I caught a cold.’
Schlieffen sighed.
It’s summer now. It wasn’t the weather to be cold, even jokingly, but he was seriously hoping that some magic would be developed that would allow her to carry her daughter around in her pocket.
He had to do what he could first.
He walked to the center of the mansion and spoke in a solemn voice.
“aria. It’s time to sleep better, so come back.”
Of course, neither my daughter nor I responded. The game of hide and seek had truly begun. Since it was like this, I had no choice but to get along. Schlieffen sighed lightly and took a step forward.
‘It must be a study or a reception room.’
The destination had already been decided. Judging by this, this event did not just happen once or twice.
Schlieffen went up to the second floor and opened the door to the study.
Sure enough, a bulging curtain in the distance caught my eye.
“Hmm. Isn’t there one here?”
Schlieffen muttered as if reading his Korean language book.
If I corrected him, he felt a little sorry and offered me some kind of entertainment.
It was a clumsy performance, but the effect was clear.
A giggling sound came from under the curtain.
“Hehehe.”
It was clear that Aria was there.
Schlieffen’s feet rose slightly from the ground.
It was an advanced technology that concealed the sound of footsteps through precise use of wind magic.
I wanted to be more involved, but the child’s sleep schedule had to be maintained properly.
It was the moment when Schlieffen glided across the study and lifted the curtain.
“Gotcha…um?”
Schlieffen’s face hardened. There was only a pair of cute shoes left where Aria should have been. It was the weak wind blowing from inside the shoe that caused the curtain to fluff up.
‘Magic circle?’
The wind was coming from two magic circles carved into the insole. It seemed like it would have been quite difficult to draw something so small and elaborate.
What a waste of talent on such trivial pranks.
Schlieffen muttered in a voice full of admiration.
“Did the eldest daughter of the Caravel family teach you? “She learned something interesting.”
“Take it!!”
At that time, a loud shout rang out from behind.
Schlieffen lightly twisted his shoulder.
Perfect! The girl jumped from the bookshelf and plunged her wooden sword into the spot where he was.
“You’ve become quite good at hiding your presence.”
“You’re pretty good at avoiding it! “You scoundrel!”
The girl sheathed her wooden sword and clicked her tongue. Her dark blue hair flowed like fire. Her facial features, which were unusual for a five-year-old, were surprisingly similar to her mother’s.
Aria Siniban de Grancia, the only daughter of Iril and Schlieffen and the heir of the Grancia family, which divides the empire.
She immediately took her stance and swung her wooden sword again.
“But this would be too much! White Wind Sword!”
“It must be a storm sword. “When did you take out my clothes again?”
Schlieffen sighed. It seemed like the game changed from hide and seek to sword fighting.
Arya wore her uniform coat around her neck like a cloak. The treasure, bestowed directly by the emperor and made with great care by the empire’s greatest craftsmen, became a moving broom, sweeping the floor.
Actually, it didn’t really matter. I’m just worried that I might step on it and fall.
Talk. Schlieffen stopped her wooden sword using only her index and middle fingers.
Aria gritted her teeth.
“Profit! Let go!”
“It’s time for the child to sleep. Don’t let her dozing off again worry her mother.”
“…!”
She tried with all her might to remove her wooden sword, but it wasn’t enough. It felt like I was stuck in a gap in a huge rock, not my finger. It was just as Schlieffen reached out his opposite hand to grab her.
“joy! “I knew I would be caught like this!”
Eventually, Aria let go of her wooden sword and ran out of her study. Because she used wind magic, her movements were quick. Of course, she deliberately let her go because her efforts were in vain, but Schlieffen soon regretted showing her mercy. Her owner had lost her shoe and it was left round.
‘What if I get pricked by a thorn?’
He frowned. Although the Grancia Mansion was maintained without a speck of dust 24/7, there was always the possibility of what if. The servants’ voices were coming out in confusion from the hallway.
“Oh, Miss Aria?!”
“You’re so uncivilized that you walk around barefoot…! Aaaah! You can’t lift your skirt!”
“If you walk around this early in the morning, your wife and master will be worried! Come on…kwaaaak!”
In addition, crunching footsteps, screams, and Aria’s laughter were heard.
It was a natural result. Aria was only five years old, but she was the daughter of a star and a child who inherited the blood of a sword saint. Even if she were a knight, there was no way a single servant could catch her.
Eventually Schlieffen came out.
“Everyone, go do your business. I will catch you.”
“Lord, master!”
The servants’ faces turned pale.
Aria, whom she had lost long ago, had already left their hands.
Schlieffen again told her not to pay attention to them, and then her eyes widened.
It was almost time for this to happen, so I had to hurry.
Schlieffen’s gaze, which had been scanning the mansion, stopped at the ceiling.
“You’re quick too. “When did you go there again?”
* * * *
“Hehe, you won’t be able to find it here, right?”
Aria giggled. She was sitting on the roof of the Grancia Mansion and flapping her legs. The golden, shimmering sun was rising in the east.
Next to her was a wooden sword, different from the one she had seen before. It was kept as a spare for times like this. A thrilling sense of victory flowed through her body like an electric current.
“I defeated the villain!”
Arya raised her wooden sword and declared her victory. This was my first time on her roof.
She always tried, but she could not reach it, being caught each time by servants, knights, or her father. Of course, but because it is dangerous.
Just then the sun rose over the forest.
The short shadow grew longer. As she faced the sunrise, she muttered in fascination.
“It’s pretty….”
It was a sight I had never seen before. The only thing that changed was the perspective, but it seemed like a completely new place.
The refreshing breeze that tangles your hair, the dance of lush trees and neatly blooming summer flowers throughout the garden. Even the voices of servants desperately looking for him.
“Perfect.”
Aria, her mood heightened, smiled brightly.
She thought she could just hide here and go back when she got hungry.
Later, I will definitely bring her mom and her three older sisters.
She was stretching herself like a cat waking up from sleep.
“I agree. It’s definitely not bad here. ”
“Huhhh!!!”
Aria’s heart sank.
The voice suddenly heard from next to me was heavy and profound, as if it were scraping the cauldron of hell.
Aria turned her head and jumped up. A large, black tiger, more precisely a creature with a tiger’s head and a human body, was lying on the roof.
The tiger continued her words with only her head slightly raised.
“Judging by the color of her hair, you are the daughter of the Sword Saint. Nice to meet you.”
“You, you, you, who are you?!”
Instead of answering, Aria picked up her wooden sword. Sensing her crisis, her body awakened her potential.
Saaaa! A bluish air current rose up her wooden sword body.
Jaipa, who saw the scene, shrugged his eyebrows.
“Hoo. Already?”
“I asked who it was!”
“Jayfa Tergung. He’s just an old swordsman. “What is your name?”
“Now, Zaipa? If it’s Zaipa Turgung… hehe!”
It was clearly the name of the Sentai Sword Saint. Aria took a step back, embarrassed.
At the same time, her left foot went off the roof and her body lost balance.
She reflexively looked down and gasped.
“Oh, no!”
Because the mansion was so huge, the ground was completely dark.
Fragments of an unhappy future flashed through her mind.
‘I’m listening to Dad!’
No matter how much she waved her arms, her lost balance did not return.
This was the moment when both of Aria’s feet left the roof.
Hwaaaaaaa!
A strong wind blowing from below pushed her back.
“Argh!”
Aria, pushed by the wind, fell in front of her. At the same time, her Zyfa’s tail wrapped around her.
“Tail, tail?”
“Looking at the floor is the basis of inspection. “It seems your father hasn’t taught you yet.”
Jaifa twitched.
Thanks to her fluffy, thick tail, Arya’s nose didn’t break.
Suddenly, her familiar voice rang out from somewhere not far away.
“That child is not old enough to learn the sword yet.”
Before I knew it, Schlieffen had come up and was standing next to Seiffa.
Aria was astonished as her eyes followed her tail.
“Oh, Dad?!”
“aria. “I would have told you not to come up here because it was dangerous.”
Schlieffen approached her with great strides and stopped in front of Aria.
Then, without saying a word, she leveled her eyes and stared at her daughter.
As if he was asking her to find her fault in her own face reflected in her eyes.
Aria, who was muttering something, lowered her head.
“…sorry.”
“Mom will be worried. Let’s hurry back before it’s too late for her.”
The game is over. Schlieffen held Aria in his arms.
Schlieffen, who was looking at her sullenly, blurted out.
“Next time, let’s come together. “Mom too.”
“Yes, I’m sorry.”
Aria nodded. It suddenly dawned on her that she was close to death. She sniffled and buried her face in Schlieffen’s chest.
Schlieffen looked back at Seiffa.
“This is the first time since the wedding. “What are you doing here since dawn?”
“I just came here to get some air. I also got to see the faces of my students.”
“Is everything done in the North?”
“so so. “The poop that Barka made must be quite big.”
The two briefly shared each other’s current status. Things like changes in family, friends, personal circumstances, and circumstances.
Jaipa calmed down the North, which was in chaos, and became the new leader. Because I had so much work to do, I couldn’t stop by the Empire, and it was my first time seeing Schlieffen in over ten years.
The morning sun was about to fully rise.
“This is going to be a long story, so please come in first.”
“done. It’s not that shameless. “I’ll come back later.”
Jaifa stood up. I don’t know if it was because he was getting older or because he had suffered a lot, but his fur was whiter than before.
“If that’s the case.”
“Kkeuk, you still don’t ask twice. “Do you know that your daughter has developed an Auror?”
“It looks like we finally succeeded. I was vaguely aware of the signs.”
Schlieffen patted her daughter on the back.
He knew long ago that her talent for arias was as good or better than his.
Suddenly, I felt a sense of injustice. As his father, I couldn’t capture that dramatic moment with my own eyes.
He, who was chewing his lips, asked Jaifa.
“…I guess you didn’t leave any photos or anything?”
“What are you talking about? “Is it possible for me to have something like that?”
“It’s a shame… What line was it by any chance?”
“At first glance, it seemed similar to you. “I’ll have to wake you up to find out.”
Schlieffen’s eyebrows rose. He said that the similarity between his and the Auror’s form meant that he had inherited the Storm Sword. The ability that is said to be the most overwhelming along with all of Nabirose’s abilities.
Before we knew it, Aria was fast asleep in Schlieffen’s arms.
Jaipa asked with interest in his voice.
“Are you planning on leaving it to me? “If I train you from now on, you could become a swordsman that surpasses even Ronan.”
“I will send this child later if he wants. I will refuse for now.”
“As expected. From what I heard, Ronan also gave birth to her child, so I guess I’ll have to try and persuade her.”
In any case, he was a student who could not be found to be cute. He had had enough of playing, it was time for him to go.
Jaifa, having decided on his next destination, crouched down.
Just as the 4m tall figure was about to be launched into the sky.
“Hey, Sword Saint.”
“yes?”
“You look happy.”
Jaifa chuckled. It was an expression that had never been seen on him before. Were Tiger’s red eyes did not contain the sword saint Schlieffen and his successor, but rather an extremely ordinary father and daughter.
okay. Just like my past self.
“Please continue to cherish your family from now on. “It’s a treasure that can’t be compared to anything like an empire, a family, or a sword that calls a storm.”
“that…..”
This was before Schlieffen could say anything.
Quaaaaang-! Jaifa’s body disappeared into the sky.
A former generation sword master and teacher who taught me the ultimate meaning of the sword.
Schlieffen, watching his trajectory, smiled slightly.
“I think so.”
****
“Haaaam… good morning.”
Iril woke up and stretched.
The clock showed 7 o’clock as always.
Just as she was about to get up, she tilted her head.
“huh?”
Schlieffen and Aria were sound asleep.
Normally, both of them would have woken up at this time, but it was an unusual incident.
Her husband, who was sleeping without his hat on, and Aria completely buried in his arms were extremely lovely.
“Hehe, you must be very tired.”
Iril laughed. Schlieffen did not wake up even when I patted his head. For some reason, she had been playing vigorously with her daughter the day before, and she seemed to have overexerted herself.
She got out of her bed, careful not to wake them both.
I guess I should prepare breakfast.
Irol, wearing a shawl over her pajamas, whispered softly.
“Have a nice dream, you two.”
Irol kissed her husband and her daughter and then left her room.
The morning sunlight seeping into the lobby of her mansion was particularly warm.
It felt like something good was going to happen today.